The 5th graders art project focused on Underground Railroad inspired quilt patterns that were used to give slaves information about how to escape. These were created while studying about the Underground Railroad and the symbols and patterns from quilts that were used to guide the slave to freedom. The students first created sketches of their patterns and then traced it on to a styrofoam plate. Next, the students made 4 prints on a piece of paper using the first ink color. Then, with a dull pencil the student rubbed down sections of the styrofoam plate before printing with a second ink color. The process is long but the students were enthusiastic and really enjoyed doing it, and they turned out awesome!!

The 4th grade just finished up their print making in a series projects. They created a Pop Art inspired portrait. The students first drew their self portraits on a piece of paper and then traced it on to the styrofoam plate. After that the students then rolled ink out using a brayer on to their styrofoam plate and printed the image on different colored pieces of paper.

The students really enjoyed getting to print multiple images of themselves and liked seeing how the variations of the prints on the various colors of paper.

3rd Grade classes most recent project was their Romare Bearden inspired Cityscape collages. Romare Bearden was an artist from Harlem, New York that created cut paper collages of every day city life in Harlem. The students made their collages out of cut construction paper and glue. The students created texture in their collages by folding, tearing, and crumpling the paper. Then the student assembled them in to their very own cityscape. They really turned out great!

2nd Grade just finished working on their Pumpkin Patch Landscapes and they look awesome! The students began by drawing the horizon line in the middle of their papers and added detail in the foreground, middleground and background all in pencil. The students then went over everything they had drawn in pencil with a sharpie. The next step was to color everything with crayons, except the sky. Then, the students crumbled up their papers to add texture. The final step was to paint the sky / background with watered down blue and purple tempera paint to give the sky an awesome sun-setting effect.

The Kindergarten just finished up their texture medallions and they turned out great! They made them by taking a small ball of clay and squishing it with their shoe to make texture on the front of the medallions. Next, we fired them in the kiln, and once that was done we glazed them and fired them one more time. The final step was to add some string and add some beads.

Hi everyone! I am Mr. Sandlin I will be the new Visual Arts teacher for the 2014-15 academic year. Originally I grew up in Montgomery Alabama; later in life I attended the University of Montevallo where I studied art, and received a Bachelors of Fine Arts. I majored in Sculpture and minored in photography, but spent most of my time creating sculptures out of sheet metal. A few years later I returned to the University of Montevallo received my M.Ed. I am very excited to meet all of you and can’t wait to start see my students discovering art and different art techniques.